HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 175
BYRepresentatives Sayan, Patrick, Fisch, Fisher, Lux, Dellwo, May and Winsley
Requiring comparison salary survey of ferry employees and related transportation employees.
House Committe on State Government
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (9)
Signed by Representatives H. Sommers, Chair; Peery, Vice Chair; Baugher, Chandler, Hankins, O'Brien, Sayan, Taylor and Walk.
House Staff:Pam Madson (786-7135)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT FEBRUARY 27, 1987
BACKGROUND:
The Marine Employees Commission was established in 1983 and is charged with reviewing complaints, grievances and disputes between ferry system labor and management, and conducting an annual salary survey for ferry employees prior to wage negotiations.
The salary survey must compare wages, hours, employee benefits and conditions of employment of state ferry workers with those of private sector and other state employees doing directly comparable work. Consideration is given to local factors and the classifications involved.
SUMMARY:
SUBSTITUTE BILL: The salary survey conducted by the Marine Employees Commission must compare private and public sector maritime and nonmaritime employees on the West Coast and sheltered waters of the United States and Canada. The survey shall identify directly comparable work, whenever possible, in making comparisons. The commission may supply survey findings and supplementary data as needed for collective bargaining or to resolve an impasse.
Survey results must be submitted to the Transportation Commission, Legislative Transportation Committee, the unions and the governor by December 31, 1987 and by October 1 of each year thereafter.
SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: Employers to be surveyed are not limited to those with fifteen or more employees and five or more years of continuous operation. The survey area is expanded to the west coast and sheltered waters of the United States and Canada. The commission shall identify directly comparable work whenever possible in its position comparisons. The commission may provide survey findings and supplementary data for use in collective bargaining and in resolving an impasse. The survey findings shall be distributed in October of each even-numbered year to the Transportation Commission, Legislative Transportation Committee, the unions and the governor.
Fiscal Note: Requested March 2, 1987.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: Larry Mitchell, Inlandboatmen's Union; Steve Ross, Marine Engineers Beneficial Association and Masters, Mates, and Pilots Union; Maureen Bo, Office and Professional Employees International Union; David Haworth, member, Marine Employees Commission; Lou Stewart, member, Marine Employees Commission; and Donald Kokjer, member, Marine Employees Commission.
House Committee - Testified Against: Jim Sainsbury, Marine Division, Department of Transportation; and Ben Dysart, Ferry Riders Coalition.
House Committee - Testimony For: The scope and area of the salary survey is expanded to include employers operating outside the state but limited to Puget Sound and adjacent waters and sheltered waters of British Columbia. Surveying directly comparable work reflects what specific jobs are available in the market place and provides the data needed for collective bargaining. By broadening the base, the commission can produce a valid survey. Comparisons should be made with larger employers and unionized employees (such as those in the marine transportation industry) to provide a valid comparison to the Washington state ferry system.
House Committee - Testimony Against: The survey area is not expanded sufficiently to produce a viable product. The geographic survey base is too restricted. Survey is restricted to the maritime industry for office, terminal and other on-shore employees who may now be compared to private sector and other state employees. It eliminates comparison with new employers and employers with less than fifteen employees. "Directly comparable work", if used in all cases, can restrict the survey to the point of no comparison for some positions. Survey results would not be available to the legislature in setting the biennial budget for the Marine Division or to the governor in preparing budget requests.